2019 PRO thread

[CrankAddictsRich]

Custom bars for Roglic, Campenaerts and Nibali in the second TT at the Giro.







Maybe custom bars for Yates, as well?



Shiv TT Disc for Jungels and Majka in the second TT.

[djcharlou]

On the subject of Pro equipement, Pogacar looks to be riding with a Boa version of the Berk shoes ? (pic on power article on cyclingtips)
From the pictures of Roglic on the TT, he appears to be on a Berk saddle, there's a new one on the website literally called "Rogla".
Is he wearing Berk shoes under the shoe cover too ?

[Calnago]

Still on the subject of pro equipment, this is a good time to comment on the value of marketing at the pro level. It makes me laugh when people actually say stuff like the public doesn’t care what the pros ride, therefore what the pros ride has no bearing on what sells. Lol. We all look at what the pros ride, in excruciating detail, and we are the public and in some ways influencers of the public that doesn’t care. And that filters down to what we buy and even though Joe Blow Public who doesn’t know a Grand Tour from a gokart race, it ultimately filters down to what he is buying too. So, if a manufacturer wants to sell something, doesn’t matter if it’s disc brakes or rear lights or anything else, even if it’s application may not be ideal for the pros, they still want their pros to be seen on it, within reason. It is after all, why sponsorship exists, to showcase the stuff manufacturers ultimately want to sell. To have their pros riding anything else just sends a message that doesn’t jibe with the bottom line. So, the next time someone says or implies what the pros ride or don’t ride has no effect at the cash register, think about how much you drill down on the pics you see of the pros equipment, and then ponder if that really has no effect on sales down the road.

[flying]

We all look at what the pros ride, in excruciating detail, and we are the public and in some ways influencers of the public that doesn’t care.

Many decades ago I would agree & I use to wish that someday I could afford a full Campy blown Pina
like my hero's were riding in Winning Magazine or World Cycling Productions VHS tapes

So yes back then I was highly impressionable

But now many years of riding later I realize the Pro's on display are a sponsors showcase & in reality probably far removed from the Pro's own true personal preferences in cycling equipment.
Also after many years we realize/know what really works for "us"

But, as an aside what I do like to look at these days is what non-sponsored Pro's ride after they retire
As I think it reflects the truth of their experience for what "works"

Folks like Christian Meier at The Service Course in Girona or some other X-pro's
I realize that Christian is in business so also may still be influenced by profit margins but I watched folks like him & what they chose to
ride for fun after retiring & find it "interesting"

Does not mean I go & buy those things but I do find myself often nodding in agreement

[Calnago]

^ Exactly this... “young and impressionable” vs “old and wise” are cliché for good reason.

[micky]

Mollema and Yates on LW disc.

Yates and Nibali on what appeared to be custom TT bars but different shape that would suggest different supplier?

Apparently Nibali and Rogla on dutch Speedbar.
Yates seems to be on something slightly different.

[flying]

^ Exactly this... “young and impressionable” vs “old and wise” are cliché for good reason.

[CrankAddictsRich]

Shiv TT Disc...

[TonyM]

Quite a different chain tension between these two!

[CrankAddictsRich]

Definitely something funky going on with Jungle Bob's bike... I'm thinking that that maybe the photo was snapped just as he dropped into the small ring up front and the RD hasn't taken up that slack yet.

[ichobi]

I find this new design intriguing. If you look at it it’s really quite an empty TT bike. No massive tubes, no fairing of any kind, no rear wheel cutout. Not cutout on the downtube to smooth the airflow from the front wheel either. The gap between the seattube and the rear wheel is massive. It breaks the convention of what we perceived as fast TT bike. No doubt Specialized will claim it the fastest bike in the world by a country miles. Would like to see the thinking behind the design. I really like this minimalistic tt bike though. It should be pretty light and handle close to the road bike than other tt frames.

Here are some comparisons.

[Pierre86]

Interesting that your first post in here is this...
According to the Tour test integrated rim brake models were more aero than their disc brake versions. This is not the case with the Noah. Just missing that and your argument collapses.

Long time listener, first time caller... not that it matters
Even the non integrated S5 rim is faster than the new disc, as I'm sure a non integrated rim brake Aeroad or Felt AR would be.

[Pierre86]

I find this new design intriguing. If you look at it it’s really quite an empty TT bike. No massive tubes, no fairing of any kind, no rear wheel cutout. Not cutout on the downtube to smooth the airflow from the front wheel either. The gap between the seattube and the rear wheel is massive. It breaks the convention of what we perceived as fast TT bike. No doubt Specialized will claim it the fastest bike in the world by a country miles. Would like to see the thinking behind the design. I really like this minimalistic tt bike though. It should be pretty light and handle close to the road bike than other tt frames.

I'd say it would look a lot like the current crop of track bikes if it was just a bare frameset.

And any excess chain on jungels bike probably comes from the difference in chainrings, jungels would be pushing 55+

[halcyongolf]

Tune saddle on bojangles bike?

[kgt]

Yes, Tune saddle for sure.
Considering the new Shiv, IMHO the slimer tubes are to the right direction. Between a slim and a fat tube of the same profile the slim one is better in terms of aerodynamics. I am not sure about the void between the rear wheel and the downtube but I guess that it is not critical in terms of aero.
It would be much more aero with integrated brakes of course and not these stupid discs that have no place in a tt anyway.